The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-12
READING FOR THE DAY.
Sunday-SchooI Lesson for juno 10, 1873.
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Sunday School Lesson for juno ID, 1887.
THE COMMUNICATIVE. Xxx. 1921.
Golden Text-Thou shalt love thy neighbor thy
self.-Matt. XIII 80.
The first table, containing the first four com
mandments was intended to educate the nations
in the essential principles of religion OF which
virtue was a second part, and SO to make them
"a peculiar people" who should in all possible
ways teach the world the unity of the true God
and that all the gods of the heather were out
idols created by their own minds and fashioned
with their own hands. In this purpose of God
we have the great clew to guide us through the
maZes of their history.
The next purpose of God to form and de-
velop national life that should be a true
solidarity, and this national lfe through all it's
changes, was to be the true ark containing the
great religious principles of the unity and char
acter of God 10 the form of a divine covenant
This abiding covenant of the unchangne God
was kept before them in all their changing his
tory by the splendid forms and feasts of their
worship. The second table of commandments
had to do with the duties of man to his neigh
Dor, and were intended largely to preserve in its
strength and beauty the nation. and the nation
had its kernel and heart the true idea of
God. The fifth and seventh commandments
were intended to guard and honor the family as
the basis of the nation: the sixth, and eighth.
and ninth had the same purpose for the indi-
vidual the basis of the family, protecting his
life. and property and character; while the
tenth goes down into the heart, where God
alone can follow, and throw over each of these
laws the Strength and safety of conscience and
duty.
THOUGHTS on THE LESSON
Their first impressions of the children of Israel
were the same as ours in the presence of the
holiness of God. But when they had had time to
think, and when Moses returned to them from
his longer communion with God, then there
came a better feeling their hearts. They
found, what easily fail to see, that they
were already a saved people, not by the law, but
before the law was given The law was given to
keep them in the way, and in the possession
of the salvation of God, to lead them to
higher gifts and possessions "a nation of
priests"
We need TO keep this order of facts in mind In
reading the Old Testament and forgetting it we
are confused and perplexed. Safety, salvation,
is gift to US as to them We do not. we can
not, earn deserve it. We saved sim
ners "by the free gift" of God in Christ We
simply. as penitent. seeking sinners, what
Christ has gained for by His death, and we
appropriate to ourselves this free gift of pardon
and life. We might have done it before if
had seen 1t was waiting for US 1--WE are saved by
faith" But we keep salvation and grow in it
by keeping His holy law, by obedience to his
commands. The more fully the law becomes
written in our hearts," SO that we keep 1t from
love, the stronger and truer the type of our
pety.
We to day need DO Moses to speak for to
us. We have our Lord Jesus Christ, the true
mediator between God and By under
standing His work and Intercession for us. the
freeness and funess of His grace, we come into
a loving sympathy with Gods holiness to which
we are led by these commandments. He who
stops at the commandment stops this side of
heaven.